1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing system and an inspection/periphery exposure apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
Substrate processing apparatuses are used to subject various substrates such as semiconductor substrates, substrates for liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, optical disks, magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, photomasks, and other substrates to various types of processing.
For example, the substrate processing apparatus described in JP 2003-324139 A includes a plurality of processing blocks. Each processing block is provided with a plurality of thermal processing sections, a plurality of chemical liquid processing sections and a transport mechanism. Substrates are transported to the thermal processing sections and the chemical liquid processing sections by the transport mechanism in each processing block. The substrates are subjected to given processing in the thermal processing sections and the chemical liquid processing sections.
With recent improvements in density and integration of devices, making finer resist patterns has been an important issue. Conventional exposure devices have generally performed exposure processing by reduction-projecting a reticle pattern on substrates through projection lenses. In such a conventional exposure device, however, the line width of an exposure pattern is determined by the wavelength of a light source of the exposure device, thus limiting the capability to make finer resist patterns.
Therefore, a liquid immersion method is suggested as a projection exposure method allowing for finer exposure patterns (see, e.g., WO99/49504 pamphlet). In a projection exposure device according to the WO99/49504 pamphlet, an area between a projection optical system and a substrate is filled with a liquid, resulting in a shorter wavelength of exposure light on a top surface of the substrate. This allows for finer exposure patterns.
The substrate processing apparatus shown in JP 2003-324139 A subjects the substrates to various types of film formation processing before the exposure processing. In a process of the film formation processing, the surface of a film to be formed on the substrate may be uneven.
The liquid is supplied in the area between the projection optical system and the substrate in the projection exposure device of the WO99/49504 pamphlet. However, the uneven surface of the substrate inhibits the liquid from being held in the area between the projection optical system and the substrate, resulting the liquid flowing to the outside of the substrate in some cases.
The flow of the liquid to the outside of the substrate is liable to cause failures or operational troubles of the exposure device. In addition, the temperature within the exposure device may change. In the case, restoring the exposure device requires much labor and time.
Also in an exposure device not employing the liquid immersion method, the uneven surface of the substrate causes the condition of the substrate after the exposure processing to be different depending on portions, resulting in processing defects of the substrate. Accordingly, complicated operations are required for collecting such a substrate after the processing is finished in the substrate processing apparatus.